


Without A Doubt

by GreenArticMonki



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-30 16:27:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10167128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenArticMonki/pseuds/GreenArticMonki
Summary: Just a face in the ever-growing crowds of a nameless city, that's all he was. The face of a man I had never met before in my entire life. But this soul among many, this raven-haired passer-by stuck out like a rose among thorns. Maybe not to the many nameless bodies that bustled mindlessly by, but to me it was a face I knew I would recognise among millions; with his shorter than average height and his perfectly fitted overcoat, I knew in a heartbeat that it was him.This work was supposed to be based off of the art work done by dreamxxdream on tumblr but not everything went to plan. So, any scenes from their artwork will appear in a few chapters time :)





	1. A Purpose

When I was 11 years old, I never understood the brilliance of going to sleep and dreaming the night away. It could be said that this was down to my full-on nature, my love for being awake and joining in on everything life had to offer me, but only I knew that this wasn’t the case, not even close. Going into school every morning and hearing about how someone ‘flew in their dream!’ last night or about how a girl ‘talked to her crush’ while in ‘dream land’ the night before seriously put a downer on my whole situation.

Only being in my first year of middle school didn’t help either. Joining a new school and being intimidated wasn’t exactly the best thing to help me work my way through the confusion I was experiencing, the key problem being: I was sure I was the only kid that felt the way I did. 

Dreaming about giant, human eating monsters and watching the people around me be consumed was the one reason I didn’t enjoy sleeping. Most nights I would wake up screaming, without any recollection of the images that had just consumed my mind. Being as young as I was, there was no doubt about it that I had thousands of questions, but no one to answer them.

The older I got, the more frequent and vivid the dreams became. They were always filled with the same blurry group of people, people who seemed so familiar yet I had never once seen them in my life. I tried to ask my parents about what was happening, but they just shrugged me off, told me I had a creative mind or an overactive imagination. They soon became tired of my constant quizzical thinking and told me ‘if you’re so intrigued by some silly dreams then why don’t you just look it up? You’re old enough to sort this out on your own’.

And so, that’s what I did.

That very same night I sat myself down in front of the family computer and got down to work. I tried multiple different searches to find the most relatable article, until I came across a site named ‘Harbouring The Past’.

Instinctively I clicked on it and my monitor was instantly covered in thousands of accounts on other people’s experiences of something called ‘reincarnation’. Being the curious 14-year-old that I was, I clicked on the top article with the title ‘I’ve been having recurring memories’. After reading through that account and various others, I had come to a strong conclusion: I was going to have to wait and see where these dreams would take me. Every story I had read stated similar findings, they had all gotten increasingly intense as they grew older. Some said that this led them to realise who they were, and what the dreams meant; others had yet to find out. I was either just like these people, or I wasn’t. I just had to wait and see.

\-----

And wait and see I did. A few nights after my 15th birthday, I had a dream like no other. It wasn’t a repeat of something from previous nights, it was so immersive it was frightening. I was riding through a dense forest along-side 3 other people; observing my surroundings, I could see that we were all wearing similar uniforms with matching green cloaks with strange wing symbols embroidered on the backs of them, somewhat resembling a crest of sorts. There were no ‘titans’ as I had come to call the giant man eating monsters, just the serenity of the forest and the comrades beside me, I felt… at peace, with these people.

Never had I seen the faces of the bodies around me, only muffled dialogue and the terror that surrounded us. But in that moment, the man beside me turned in his place and I could see more than just raven hair and a guarded stance. I could see his face, all sharp features and piercing grey eyes.

‘’…Levi?’’ I whispered, terror evident on my face.

‘’What is it, brat?’’ He retorted, confusion filling his usually guarded eyes.

I bolted upright, waking myself in the process. My mind was a mess, I was being overwhelmed with memories of a different time, of another life. It was happening, right there and then. I was remembering my life in the survey corps, remembering my friends. Armin, Mikasa, that dammed horseface Jean, Connie and Sasha, but most importantly... Levi. There were so many people I could think of, so many people from so many lifetimes ago. So many people that I would never see again, but then when I thought about it, was that really the truth?

If I, Eren Jaeger, could be reincarnated into this world… then why could’t the rest of them be too?

\-----

It was 3 years after I recovered my memories that I finally found someone familiar to me. I was walking through the halls of my high school on the first day back when I overheard gossiping from a few girls near the entrance to the cafeteria.

‘’Have you heard? There’s a new guy who’s just joined the senior year!’’ One girl giggled.

‘’Do you think he’s gunna be hot? I call dibs if he is!’’ Another called, all the girls in the closely huddled group gasped and quarrelled over the supposed new student. I had yet to meet him, but I wasn’t opposed to the idea, I had always been an openly friendly guy. That was unless I was provoked or riled up, I had a surprisingly short temper, nothing much had changed I suppose.

Continuing my walk down the hall I turned to make my way to my locker. I was hoping to find the hallway deserted so I could grab my books and go, but that wasn’t what I found at all. Standing in front of the locker just next to mine was a considerably small guy with blond hair. I recall thinking he was oddly familiar but shrugged it off without a second thought, that was until I called out to him.

‘’Hey, are you the new guy?’’ I had asked casually as I rocked up next to him, opening my locker in a single movement. When he turned to look at me though, that's when I froze. We both stared at each other, stuck in whatever memories we were both reliving in that moment.

Please remember, you have to rememb-

‘’…Eren?’’ He quivered, hope and hesitation woven into his delicate features.

He remembered me. He knew who I was, I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

In a moment of desperation, I wrapped my arms around his small frame and silently cried into his shoulder,

‘’I thought you were gone! I thought I’d lost you..” I had started to sob louder and grip tighter onto his jacket, worried that he might disappear if I didn't hold on tight enough. If anyone had walked in on us, it would have been an inexplainable situation.

He tightened his grip on my shirt and returned the hug with more force than I thought possible from such a dainty person.

Taking that as his confirmation to me of his existence, we both took a step back and just looked at each other, really looked at each other. He appeared almost exactly the same, minus the few scars he had accumulated over his years in the corps. With his bright blue eyes and soft blond hair, I had missed him more than I had originally thought. But now that I had him, I was not going to let him go.

I had waited years to find someone, anyone. But finding Armin filled me with such warmth and happiness that I no longer felt so empty. It felt as if I had found a piece of a puzzle that was almost finished, but not quite. I still had people to find… but right now, I was content with holding onto Armin and starting to live my life to the fullest with him finally by my side.

I was no longer an empty shell of a person.

I now had meaning.

A purpose.

 

And I'd be dammed if I let that go to waste.

 

 


	2. A Brief Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get this up but here it is!
> 
> I hope you like it :)

After finding Armin, my life seemed to change for the better. I managed to pass all my exams and graduated from high school with decent grades, alongside my best friend; but of course, he finished with some of the highest results in the year – no surprise there.

We kept in constant contact, never going a day without talking. During college, we decided that it was easier for both of us if we just moved in together because of how often we saw each other; it was also easier financially, so it was the ideal situation really. 

Unfortunately, after high school I pretty much lost all contact with my parents. They had issues with a lot of my decisions I had made after finding Armin, such as officially changing my name to Eren and moving half way across the country to attend my preferred college. They didn’t understand why I didn't like my birth name, which had been passed down from my grandfather, and why I couldn't ‘just attend a local college and settle down close to home’.

So, after endless arguing and disagreement, I gave up. I packed my bags, left a note with my number and whereabouts scribbled on it and walked away. If they weren’t going to support me, but continuously put me down, then why stay? What's the point? 

Even after all these years, I've never heard from them. The ball has been in their court for too long now, they’ve forgotten me. So I'll forget them.

But if I'm being totally honest, I'm happy it’s all happened this way because it's brought me to where I am today: working in a small local café not far from my apartment and living comfortably with my best friend and our small child, Sina. The cat. 

She's Satan reincarnated.

With demonic beings aside, after going to college I could never decide on a ‘full time’ job I wanted to stick to. I wouldn't say I have commitment issues, but I can't seem to stay in a job for too long without losing interest; you could say my current employment is an exception though. The café is run by no other than Petra Ral, I can’t explain the shock I experienced when I walked into the shop for the first time. She doesn't remember much, but she knows enough to identify Armin and I and for me, that's okay.

Since moving to the city we’ve only managed to find one other person besides Petra, and if I’m being totally honest, I probably could have lived my life happily without this person falling into it. Who is this totally unbearable person, you ask? Oh, I'll tell you who.

Jean.Fucking.Kirschtein.

Armin was overjoyed when we bumped into him. Yes, we literally bumped into him. We were just minding our own business, walking into the local grocers and this asshole runs straight into us, dropping his shopping in the process. So instead of acting like a normal human being, he starts screaming at us like we did something wrong.

In the haste of the entire situation, and with me being a slightly angrier individual in general, I started shouting back at him. Only thinking back on it now, I do feel kinda guilty for making Armin take charge of the entire situation, but the guy was being a massive dick. 

In the end, we managed to calm the situation - but only then did we realise who we were looking at. To be honest, I wasn't too surprised. He acted exactly as Jean would: an overly privileged stuck up prick.

He still looked like a horse too.

After the whole ordeal was sorted and we had stopped blocking the entrance to the small corner store, Armin and Jean exchanged numbers.

I made sure that my distain towards the matter was very evident, too. I didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea and thinking that I might actually like the guy. Even after all these months of knowing him my opinion has not changed, and if I’m honest I doubt it ever will.

And I’m pretty fucking ok with that fact.

\-----

These many events have evidently led up to where I am right now though, and no it’s not some soppy crap about being in love and having the perfect life. I am currently sat in the living room, being smothered by Sina and have Armin chewing me out for not putting the toilet seat down.

‘’Eren, I swear to whoever lives up in the heavens, if you do not put that toilet seat down next time you use the bathroom I will forcibly make you sit down and watch a whole season of Game of Thrones.’’ 

Pft, Game of Thrones isn’t even that bad.

‘’With Jean.’’

Oh, fuck no. Not that asshole.

‘’You wouldn’t dare’’ I sneered.

‘’Oh you know I would. I’m serious this time Eren!’’ He was starting to raise his voice again. 

Honestly, I’m pretty grateful I live with Armin. He only seems to get antsy about small things that I can fix easily. I mean, I could come in at who knows what time in the morning, drunk off my ass and he wouldn’t even get angry. So I guess the least I could do is put the toilet seat down.

‘’Ok! I’ll put the freakin toilet seat down next time. I’m sorry, alright?’’ I say with a slight giggle to my apology.  
‘’Brilliant!’’ His face brightens up, acting as if he wasn’t shouting at me about something seriously ridiculous no less than 2 seconds ago.

As he walks back down the hall I try desperately to remove Sina from my chest without her mauling me. I try and I fail, that is. She digs her claws into my skin and refuses to move from her obviously comfortable position, and fuck does it hurt.

‘’Armiiiiiiiiinnnnn!’’ I’m pretty much squealing like a small child at this point, this cat was not my idea. 

‘’What is it?’’ He walks back in with a look of exasperation plastered across his face, he knows exactly why I want him.

‘’Please remove your cat from my general area of being, she pains me’’ This cat is much kinder to Armin and always has been. I bet it’s bad karma or some shit. Yeah, I think I like that explanation. 

Armin starts giggling at the obviously funny scene that lies before him, ‘’You need to stop letting her get the better of you Eren, it just means she’ll keep doing it more often and I won’t always be here to save you’’

‘’Please just take her away, I’ve gotta go down and see Petra, I don’t want to have a cat attached to me while I do so’’ Armin reaches down and swiftly takes Sina into his arms, I swear to god this guy has some sort of magic voodoo shit to get that cat to submit to him. I’ve tried everything and nothing works! I’m beyond making any sort of effort now.

Once I was free from the nightmare that was our cat, I run into my room to collect the necessary things I need for my visit down to the café. After grabbing my keys, wallet and phone I shout a brief goodbye to Armin and leave the apartment.

Café Maria isn’t too far from where Armin and I live so it doesn’t take long at all to reach it, but this trip, that mind you I take almost every day, feels… different. Odd. 

It feels as if I'm missing something, like I've lost something I didn’t even know I owned. It's a very similar feeling to those I have in my dreams, a feeling of longing. In the many months I've walked down this street I've never felt anything of the sort, and so I shrug it off and walk into the shop. It's something I can think about later, I have other things to do now.

Petra greets me with a cheerful smile which morphs into a look of confusion.

‘’Eren!’’ She chirps ‘’It’s not your shift this evening? Why are you here?’’

‘’Yeah, I know. I thought I’d pop by and ask if I could change one of my shifts. I have to take Sina to the vet, so it would be easier if I could move it from Thursday to tomorrow instead, is that ok?’’ I really don’t want to take Satan herself to the vets for her monthly check-up, but unfortunately Armin’s at work and I seem to be the only one who can take her. I’m putting it down to more bad karma.

‘’That should be ok’’ Petra moves over to the rota and checks who's on shift tomorrow night, ‘’Yeah that’s fine, Hannah won’t mind swapping I’m sure’’ she smiles sweetly at me and writes my name in.

‘’That’s great, thanks Petra!’’ I get out my phone and change the shifts on my calendar, yes I use the calendar on my phone, so what? That’s what it’s there for. ‘’Have we had much business today?’’

‘’Yeah it’s been pretty hectic, but one of my close friends recently moved to town so he’s been over since around lunchtime to help out’’

I raise an eyebrow in her direction, secretly asking a question we both knew I would jump to.

‘’No, we are not getting involved with each other, Eren. I am definitely not his type, and anyway, I love him as a dear friend. Even if he is a huge grump and has little to no manners’’ 

I chuckle at her honesty towards this mysterious stranger ‘’He sounds like a charm, and what do you mean by you're not his type? I think you’re a pretty good catch.’’

Petra blushes at my comment but brushes it off moments later. ‘’Well you could have seen so for yourself if you had been a few minutes earlier, he just left. Oh, and well I’m not his type because he’s very gay.’’

Well that caught me off guard. I didn’t realise Petra was so open to talk about such things, but I guess I could put that assumption down to how I was brought up. I was always told that being gay was wrong and that having conversations about ‘awkward topics’ such as gay people and sex ed weren’t going to happen under ‘our roof’. 

‘’well.. uh I-I guess that’s ok then?’’ I scratch at the back of my neck and feel my face burning at my less that elegant response.

‘’it’s ok Eren, we’re all pretty open around here if you didn’t already realise, that is. You don’t have to feel awkward or embarrassed to talk about stuff’’ She smiles warmly at me and I feel all the tension in my body wash away. 

‘’Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be offensive…’’ 

‘’It’s alright, I know you weren’t. You better get going, it’s starting to get late’’ she points out the door to where the street lamps are starting to turn on and shine against the darkening sky.

I glance behind me and noticed the time, it's already been an hour. ‘’ Ah shit, you’re right. Well, thanks for the shift change! I’ll see you tomorrow I guess’’ I give her a wide smile and leave the shop feeling oddly satisfied.

Wandering back up the street I no longer feel the lingering feelings I did earlier on. Maybe I was just having a funny five minutes, or it’s that damn karma again. I don’t even know why I’d have bad karma, the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life is forget to feed Sina. Once. She probably put a few words in on my behalf to the underworld to make my life a living hell. Yeah, that sounds about right.

As I arrive at the apartment I try to make the least amount of noise possible. It’s more than likely that Armin has already gone to bed because of his early morning shifts, and trust me, you do not want to be on the receiving end of a very tired Armin. He may seem sweet, but that’s just a façade for when he is running on a good amount of shut-eye. 

I make my way over to my room and quickly change into my night wear. After folding my clothes and putting them away, I climb into bed and before I know it I’m out like a light.

 

I was in for a rough night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Likes and Constructive Advice is always welcome.


	3. Without Warning

Every night my dreams are plagued with events from thousands of years ago, but usually they're bearable. It's not uncommon for me to have the same dream quite a few times, but it’s strange for me to have intense nightmares that wake me from my sleep. Ever since I recovered my memories, I've only ever had nightmares like this when I’ve found someone.

 

That’s why when I wake up screaming the night after seeing Petra, I’m scared – terrified.

 

Does this mean that these night terrors will happen even without finding someone now? I haven’t found anyone new… the last person being Jean and that was months ago.

 

What’s going on?

 

I roll over and shakily reach for my phone; as I touch the home button it illuminates the surrounding room, reading the bright and early time of 5am. Great, I’m awake and have no chance of going back to sleep anytime soon. What am I meant to do for the next couple of hours until Armin wakes up?

 

Sluggishly, I kick my bed sheets off and get out of bed, careful not to make too much noise.

 

I hear a few light footsteps come past my door and hope to god I haven't woken Armin up, maybe he's just getting a drink of his own accord.

 

“Eren?” I hear him call from the other side of the wall.

 

Fuck. I’ve woken him up, how could I have woken him up?

 

My door clicks open and he slowly pokes his head into my room, I’m surprised to see that he doesn't look angry; he also looks like he’s been awake for some time.

 

‘’Ah, I forgot to tell you didn’t I. I’ve got to go into the office earlier than usual today for a meeting, I heard you screaming while I was getting dressed and thought I’d come check on you.’’ He says casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

 

‘’Shit, I didn’t think I’d been that loud...’’ I whisper, scolding myself for not being in more control of my actions.

 

Armin chuckles slightly at the pout forming on my face ‘’Eren, I’m here to help. You do know that, don't you?”

 

‘’Yeah I do…’’ I pause, trying to pick my words carefully ‘’…can I ask you a question?’’

 

His face lights up “You know you can ask me anything”. He gives me a genuine smile, maybe this won't be as difficult as I thought.

 

“I think I'm losing my mind”.

 

Armin’s expression doesn’t change, but the teasing lilt in his voice is definitely there. “That's not a question Eren’’

 

Ok, shit. Try again.

 

“O-ok, you remember when we found Jean?” He nods, concentrating more now that I’m getting down to the point, “I woke up screaming, thrashing and crying, but I didn't know why…”

 

He reaches forward to try and calm me, “Eren…”

 

I push him away though; I need to tell him what's wrong. I don't need sympathy, I need answers.

 

But I can't get my words out.

 

“I... uh, I need to tell—‘’ Armin gently puts his hand on my shoulder and moves me slightly so I'm looking right at him, leaving little to no distance between us.

 

“I know Eren”

 

What? How can he...?

 

“As you already know, I'm very perceptive. It didn't take me long to realise that the times you have these nightmares is after meeting someone new.” He releases my shoulder and once again we regain the distance that was just as quickly crossed.

 

“I take it that it first happened when meeting me, then Petra and finally Jean” He sighs and then continues to say ‘’and from what I’ve seen, the nightmares are more severe when you knew the person on a personal level, but I only have the two encounters of Jean and Petra to go from. So, my question to you is... who did you find?”

 

Well, Armin. I wish I fucking knew, because I have not a single clue.

 

“That's the thing, I haven't found anyone. That's what I wanted to ask you about.”

 

 If Armin can’t figure this out, then I don’t know what else to do.

 

“Ok I have a theory”

 

What I would do without this guy, I have no idea.

 

“wow Ar, as if I would expect anything less. How long did that take you? 20 seconds? It must be a new record” I wink at him, trying to lighten the mood, if only a little.

 

He blushes, but the sly grin covering his face completely counters the show of embarrassment, “shut up. You want me to help you, right?”

 

“Yes” If he has even the smallest idea of what might be happening, then I'm willing to snap it up like a starved animal.

 

“Ok, so this may be false, but we have to consider all possibilities.” He moves to come and sit comfortably next to me on the bed “But have you thought about the fact you may have crossed paths, or walked past someone that has triggered this?”

 

Well… I never even thought about that. ‘’But wouldn't I have known? This dream was completely different to ones I’ve had before, I’ve never had one this intense. Wouldn’t I have at least noticed?’’

 

On second thought, what if that moment I had walking to the café yesterday had anything to do with it?

 

Eh, probably not.

 

Armin shrugs his shoulders as he stands ‘’Not necessarily, maybe I'm wrong. But let's be honest, when am I ever wrong?’’

 

Never.

 

‘’Ok, I should be getting to work’’ He makes his way back across my room and stands by the door, turning towards me for a final time ‘’If you need me, just call me’’ Leaving me with a smile, he walks back out into the corridor.

 

Not long after he leaves I climb back into bed and think over what we had talked about. Could I have really been so oblivious to walk past someone and not recognise them? Have I missed a chance I won’t ever get again? I guess I’ll never know.

 

As these thoughts dance uncontrollably around my head, I fall back into a restless sleep, with images of raven hair and delicate fingers caressing soft skin flashing uncontrollably through my mind.

 

\-----

 

I’m woken by the horrendous screeching of my alarm clock. Why I ever thought this noise would be a good choice for waking me up, I will never know.

 

Rolling over, I slap my hand on the ‘snooze’ button and my room falls silent once again. The new peace and quiet that fills my room causes my eyelids to droop, and soon enough I’m once again being taken by sleep.

 

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

 

I’m going to throw my god damn phone across this room.

 

_*ping*_

My phone stops its incessant beeping to notify me that I have a text, but from who I have no idea.

 

While picking up the device I turn the screen on to check the time, and to my surprise it’s _a lot_ later than I expected.

 

‘’ Fuck, its already 1pm?’’ I mumble to myself, I better get up and feed myself or something.

 

As I remove myself from my bed I attempt to multitask; I open my phone and go over to the little 1 that hovers over my received messages.

 

It’s from Petra.

 

**Petra__12:03pm**

_\--Hey, Eren! I know you aren’t supposed to start your shift for a few more hours, but I was wondering if you could come down to the cafe ASAP to help out. It’s manic around here and I don’t have anyone else to ask, it’s ok if you can’t but I would really appreciate it--_

Well shit, I better get my ass down there.

 

**Me__1:10pm**

_\--Sorry just woke up I’ll be there in 20--_

_\--Your little friend not around to help today?--_

**Petra__1:13pm**

_\--Great! He’s been busy this morning, I’m going to ring him in a minute to see if he can help too--_

I quickly read her reply while slipping on a random outfit from my disorganised closet. Replying with a quick ‘ok’ I grab a pair of shoes and leave the apartment.

As I wait for the elevator to bring me to the small lobby of the apartment building, I think about what Petra had said. She was ringing her friend to try and get him to help too, that meant I was probably going to have to talk to him and introduce myself. Great.

 

If you didn’t already know, I’m a very awkward individual. Back in high school I was massively outgoing and made quite a large bunch of friends, but if you compared that me to the current me, I’d be unrecognisable. After finding Armin in my last year, I didn’t see the need to have any other friends. I guess I just closed myself off and focused all my time on Armin.

 

And who could blame me, the last time I saw him was _thousands of years ago_.

 

After that my social skills deteriorated pretty significantly, and I never bothered to take any notice.

I wish I had, because now I suck at talking to anyone.

 

What would I say to him? Would I even like him? What if he didn’t like me…?

 

Due to all these thoughts running through my mind, I didn’t notice that I’d stopped walking. When I come to my senses, I find myself stood in the middle of a busy sidewalk, with a strange pulling sensation in my gut.

 

The overwhelming feeling of needing to follow the pull was almost suffocating, I felt disorientated and lost – so I let myself be pushed in the direction of the pull.

 

Completely disregarding those around me and the original purpose for me being outside, I walk down streets I don’t recognise and pass shops I’ve never seen before.

 

As the pulling gets stronger, my pace gets faster. I feel frantic, like I’m looking for something I need, but I won’t know what it is until I see it.

 

I come to a stop when I reach a road crossing, I use the time to look around desperately; but as I do just that, my whole world comes to a standstill.

 

My eyes start to brim with tears, the pulling disappears and it’s replaced with a happiness I’ve never felt before.

 

 

 

 

Without any kind of warning,

what I’ve been searching for,

has appeared right in front of me.


	4. What I've Been Living For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the first little section of the chapter I listened to this song while I wrote it, I thought it kind of fitted.
> 
> Turning Pages - Sleeping At Last
> 
> I'd recommend listening to it while you read.

With tears staining my cheeks, I recall the hundreds and thousands of dreams I’ve seen him in. Whether it’s longing or terror that I'm greeted with when I close my eyes, it’s a constant occurrence that he’s involved in, and has been for years now – but it's only now that I'm realising it. Most nights I’m left screaming for him not to leave, for him to wake up… for him to come back.

With these dreams come memories of the man I loved in a different lifetime; dreams of comfort in a world infinitely colder and crueller than the one I exist in today, dreams which cause an ache that has always resided inside me. An ache for a person I said goodbye to many lifetimes ago.

But now without any kind of warning…

… that person has suddenly appeared right in front of me.

In a moment of desperation, I push past the people that separate us from each other. With my mind clouding my better judgement, I don’t give any hesitation I may have a second thought.

_‘He might not remember anything’_

It doesn’t matter, I _have_ to try. If he doesn’t have any recollection of anything then I’ll apologise and leave him alone, at least I would know that I tried.

I always told myself that if I ever found him, I wouldn’t make it weird. That I should just casually ask him if I knew him from somewhere and then go from there.

But in this moment…

none of that even crosses my mind.

I come to a stop no more than a few meters away when I lose the little control I thought I had.

‘’Captain!’’

Remember.

_Please._

_You have to remember!_

He turns his head in my direction and lowers the phone that previously had his attention, ready to give whoever’s disturbing him a piece of his mind.

I wouldn’t expect anything less.

Suddenly his face loses any trace of anger and it’s soon replaced with absolute disbelief.

‘’Eren?’’ He whispers, bewilderment obvious in his voice.

I reach forward and pull him into a bone crushing embrace: he falls limp in my arms while I sob into his shoulder. I’m afraid that if I don’t hold on tight enough he’ll pop and disappear like a bubble. It takes him a while to react, but when he does, I can tell that the arms wrapping around me are warm and solid…

And without a doubt real.

‘’Shit. You’re tall’’ He softly mumbles into my chest, the obvious height difference proving difficult for him to get over.

I laugh at the fact that that’s the first thing that he comments on, considering the situation.

While running my hand through his soft undercut I move my focus over to the sound of his voice, it hasn’t changed. It’s still smooth and deep, exactly how it was all those lifetimes ago.

I move my head from his shoulder to nuzzle my face into his hair, ‘’Eren…’’ His scent is the same too... ‘’How old are you?’’

Moving my face away from him I reply with ‘’Twenty, I’m 20. You?’’

He sighs with what I can guess as nothing other than relief at my answer ‘’31’’

Age to me, in this moment, doesn’t matter though. I’ve found him. I’ve found what I’ve been living for.

No longer do I have to dream about the experiences we had together in a different time, because now we can make new memories in this lifetime.

Levi and I can fight in this world together now, instead of suffering apart.

 

\-----

 

After coming down from the initial high of the whole situation, I remember that I actually have to be somewhere. Reluctantly, I let go of Levi and mention that I unfortunately have to leave.

"Shit, I don't wanna leave you. I just found you!” I whine. Ok, I could probably handle the situation in a slightly more mature manner, but I just want to take Levi home, wrap him up and never let him leave.

He’d murder me for sure, but I'd definitely die a happy man.

“Eren. Calm the fuck down. Look, I'll give you my number and we can sort a time and place for us to meet.” Levi gives me a single pointed look and shit if I said it didn’t make me grin like a fucking idiot I'd be a damn liar.

He could just look at me and I'd be perfectly content for the rest of my life.

“Ok, let me find my phone a sec” I rummage through every pocket I can see on my coat to search for the small device, it takes me a while, but I finally find it amongst other questionable clutter.

I give my phone to him and he types in his number; as he hands it back I send him a quick message so that he has my number too.

 

**Me__2:04pm**

_\--hey there long time no see ;)—_

 

Levi glances at his phone, then up at me, and gives me a very exasperated look of ‘are you fucking serious.’

“Long time no see? Really Jaeger?”

I give him the biggest shit eating grin I can muster and then break my eyes away from him for a brief second to look at my surroundings.

I have no idea where I am. Shit.

“Eren, you look constipated.”

I've never missed a phrase so much in my life.

“Ehh, yeah… well I need to get to work and I don't really know where I am…” I admit with an awkward chuckle.

Crap, that reminds me, I need to text Petra to let her know where I am.

“Where do you work?” He asks, trying to snap me out of my small revere.

“Café Maria, do you know where that is?”

I see a flash of recognition in Levi's eyes, but it's replaced not a moment later with his usual bored gaze.

‘’Yeah I do, I can walk you there if you’d like.’’ He starts to walk in the opposite direction, my initial instinct is to just follow him and trust that he knows where he is, so that’s what I do.

As we walk down the many different streets, that supposedly lead to Café Maria, I take quick glances every now and then at the small man who walks beside me. He hasn’t changed at all; he has the same hair style and he’s still 5’3. The only thing I see that I don’t recognise is a scar that seems to start by his collarbone and snake down underneath his clothing.

I wonder how he got that?

‘’You’re staring, Eren.’’ Levi makes me jump as his voice cuts through the daydream like state I had fallen into. I blush all the way up to my ears at the fact I’d been caught staring.

We stay silent for the rest of the walk to the café, I only take small glances after being caught and I don’t linger long, however much I might want to.

Upon entering through the small café doors, I hear the familiar jingle of a bell that notifies whoever’s on shift that a customer has arrived. Petra pops her head up from underneath the counter, ‘’Ah! Eren, are you ok? You took longer than 20 minutes to get here, I was worried that maybe something had happened’

Well, something _has_ happened, but it’s far from the worrying situation she has in mind.

‘’The brat bumped into me on the way here and I nearly kicked his ass for interrupting our phone call. He’s why I had to cut our little conversation short’’ Levi states before I have a chance to even think of a reply.

‘’Oh, Levi I didn’t see you there’’ Petra sends a wink in his direction. Is she ok? Does she have a death wish?

‘’Shut up, I’m here to help _you_ remember? I _will_ leave.’’ Levi bites back, but Petra doesn’t seem the smallest bit fazed.

…Wait.

Hold on.

He’s here to _help_ …?

‘’Hold up a second, guys.’’ Suddenly it makes perfect sense. ‘’This is the grump with no manners?!’’ I can’t hold back my laughter and amazement as I point back towards Levi.

The shock and anger that takes over Levi’s features is so worth it.

‘’Yes, it is! I take it you two know each other too?’’ Petra smiles innocently, seemingly oblivious to mine and Levi’s previous… relations. How can she not know?

Oh, shit… that’s right. She wasn’t around anymore when it all became public…

‘’Eren?’’ A quick snap of someone’s fingers in front of my face brings me back to the present. Levi’s staring at me with what looks like mild concern on his face, but I brush it off, I’m good… I think.

‘’Ok, well it was fun chatting but if we want to keep this place going we need to get to work!’’ Petra chirps.

It’s going to be a long afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be slightly shorter than others but I've been swamped with homework over the past week and I really wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible. 
> 
> Sorry .-.


	5. Dissapointment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last part of the chapter hasn't been proof read, I'll do it later. I'm just eager to get this chapter up because its been so long, I'm so sorry!

After Petra, Levi and I get down to work the midday flow of customers begins to die down considerably. Levi takes orders, Petra sorts the tickets and then gets the food out to me, who takes it to the waiting tables. We work as a pretty good team, although I am surprised that Levi volunteered to take orders, he still doesn’t come across to me as someone who would voluntarily talk to people, but whatever floats his boat I guess.

By the time the start of my shift comes around the café only has a few tables occupied; we have the usual’s that pop by to take advantage of our take-out system, but other than that, it’s really quiet.

Sometime after the mainstream customers have trickled out of the café Levi decides to take off. He leaves without saying much, other than he has somewhere to be, which is strange, and of course, I’m slightly disappointed.

Ok, I’m really disappointed.

Maybe I’m over thinking it, but what if he doesn’t care as much as I thought he did? What if he’s not the person I remember… wouldn’t he have at least made the effort to say something before he left?

‘’Eren?’’ Petra’s small voice snaps me out of my slowly spirally thoughts. She’s looking at me with obvious concern, do I really look that upset? ‘’I wouldn’t worry about Levi too much, he’s not brilliant at the whole ‘being social’ thing.’’

Well shit, I didn’t realize I could be read so damn easily. I guess I haven’t mastered the whole ‘I’m actually dead inside’ look that Levi pulls off so well, yet.

I’ll put it on my to-do list.

I give Petra a reassuring smile and get back to cleaning down tables, considering it’s getting late in the day I doubt we’ll get many more customers that will make them dirty again.

I try to busy myself with various things around the café, but I can’t seem to get my mind off of Levi, like I hoped I would.

I wonder what he does for a living? Where he lives, maybe he has family?

What if he has a partner…?

No, I’m sure he doesn’t, he would have mentioned it. Levi isn’t the most pleasant person to be around, I doubt he’s taken the time to humor someone and their whims. I hope not.

When 7 pm rolls around the café is home to only a few familiar faces, most have had their fill and gone home. My shift ends in an hour, but because of how deserted it’s become around here Petra’s said I can go home early, considering all the extra hours I’ve put in alongside Levi earlier, too.

I give a tired wave to Petra as I leave the comfortable warmth the café offers, and step out into the cold winter chill that welcomes me onto the open street. I’ve never liked the colder months, I’m more of a summer fanatic. I’d rather strip down to my shorts and bathe in the sun than layer on thick jumpers and freeze my fucking ass off.

The sidewalk is pretty much deserted, as I would expect it to be so late into the evening, and the sky is starting to cover with thick black clouds. I start to walk in the direction of the apartment, I’ll be damned if I let the weather catch me without an umbrella.

As I walk I take the time to think over the day’s events, I’d never thought in a thousand years that it would go the way that it did. Just you wait until I tell Armin.

It takes me just over 15 minutes until the apartment comes into view, but just as it does, the heavens decide to open the flood gates.

I’m soaked within a matter of minutes, and let me just tell you.

I’m pissed.

So, I decide to take it upon myself to run like someone’s put a firecracker up my ass. Not a few minutes later, I’m crashing into the lobby of the apartment building, wet through to the bone and letting out a very aggravated sigh.

Luckily, the only other person occupying the vast room is the receptionist, and he’s dozed off behind the desk, so I’m free of any embarrassment at my current predicament.

Trudging up to the elevator I think about all the bad things I’ve done in my life to deserve the weathers wrath. Who did I piss off this time, I wonder?

I’m pulled from my anger infused thoughts when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I quickly grab it while moving swiftly into the elevator.

If there’s one thing I’ve got down to a T, it’s multitasking.

After smashing my floor number with a little more force than necessary, I unlock my phone to see who’s decided to take time out of their busy lives to make small talk with me.

But to my surprise, it’s the last person I expected it to be.

**Levi__7:23pm**

_\--What time is best for you? Think about it and I’ll fit it into my schedule—_

I’m gunna fuck with him.

I shoot him a quick text asking what the hell he’s on about as the elevator comes to my floor. I step out and casually make my way over to my door, Armin’s probably home from work by now too.

Perfect.

Upon opening the door I’m greeted with a very angry Sina.

I do not deserve this.

Before I’ve even walked two paces into our apartment Sina jumps onto my god damn leg and decides to use it as a scratching post. I’ve had such a good day, but this cat had to go and ruin it. I’m going to be scarred forever. I am not over exaggerating.

‘’ARMIN!’’ I scream, he needs to come and do what Armin does best. Save me from the demon reincarnate.

‘’Oh, Eren you’re home! I didn’t hear you come i—‘’ As he rounds the corner he stops dead in his tracks. But apparently, this situation isn’t as dire to him as it is to me, because he starts laughing hysterically and takes out his phone to snap a few pictures.

‘’I’m not even sorry Eren, do you see your face? It’s priceless!’’ He giggles, obviously not catching onto the pain I’m in, or maybe he is, and he just doesn’t care.

‘’Well Armin, I wouldn’t be able to see my face right now would I? Because your stupid cat is chewing at my fucking leg! Get her off!’’ I shake my leg at him to emphasise the very obvious cat that is attacking me, but I stop almost as soon as I start because she decides to dig her claws in even deeper the more I move my body.

‘’Ok, Ok! Just stop moving, you’re upsetting her’’ Armin shuffles over and gently grips Sina, and guess what, she instantly goes limp in his arms. I can’t believe this shit.

As soon as I’m free form the feline I remove my shoes and jacket, place them by the door, and make my way into the living room.

Just as I sit down my phone notifies me that I’ve received another text.

**Levi__7:35pm**

_\--Brat, are you fucking with me right now?--_

I giggle mischievously, sending him a clueless message back. This is too fun.

**Me__7:36pm**

_\--why would I ever do that to u?--_

‘’Who are you texting that’s making you laugh like a teenage schoolgirl?’’ Armin settles himself comfortably opposite me of the sofa, eyes calculating and focused.

‘’If I tell you, you won’t believe me’’ I say, blushing slightly at the fact of being caught.

He gives me a strange look, probably already trying to figure out who it is.

He smiles brightly at me, ‘’I promise I won’t, I don’t think I know anyone that can make you act like that so spill the beans’’

Well, I guess now is a better time than any.

I shift around slightly before I tell him every little detail.

At first he gives me a look of disbelief, which then morphs into absolute amazement.

‘’Ok, so what you’re telling me, is that you found Levi Ackerman? As in, Captain Levi Ackerman? No fucking way.’’

I laugh, still slightly unable to believe myself. ‘’Yes fucking way.’’ I retort, mocking his shock.

While Armin tries to get his head around the entire situation I quickly check my phone.

** 3 unread messages **

**Levi__7:38pm**

_\--You little shit, fuck you. I can read phone sarcasm--_

**Levi__7:43pm**

_\--Don’t think you can sass me and get away with it, Brat--_

**Levi__7:49pm**

_\--For fucks sake Eren, I still need an answer. When are you free?--_

I laugh at my being caught out. Carefully I write out a reply and send it.

**Me__7:52pm**

\--ah, u got me. ok, let me think--

It didn’t take long for him to reply.

**Levi__7:53pm**

_\--Don’t think too hard, you might hurt yourself. Also, stop using text speak, I’m cringing like a mother fucker over here--_

  **Eren__7:55pm**

_\--o, u mean lik this? Soz, im not an old man lik u, don’t know any other way--_

**Levi__7:56pm**

_\--Ok, now you’re just taking the piss. Give me a time or I’ll leave you hanging.--_

**Me__7:57pm**

_\--alright, alright. I’m free anytime other than Sunday—_

**Levi__8:01pm**

_\--I’ll pick you up tomorrow then, be ready for 10:30am sharp—_

I shoot back a quick ok and don’t receive a reply, which I was kinda expecting. Slipping my phone back into my pocket I realise Armin’s switched on the T.V and has started to watch an old horror film.

As I become engrossed in the film, all I can think about is a certain raven haired man.

And I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t the happiest guy the in world right now.


	6. Because Of Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know it isn't enough, but I'm sorry for taking so long.

Every morning without fail my alarm rudely wakes me up, but this morning it seems to have chosen today as the first time for it to take a vacation day. The one day that I need to be somewhere important, my alarm bails on me.  

And so, with that said, I crack my eyes open, feeling strangely refreshed. I lay in my bed for what seems like hours waiting for my alarm to go off, because you know, I’m not going to get up before I really need to.

After lying in wait for some time now, I find it strange that it hasn’t gone off yet. It’s light enough outside for it to be the right time, so why aren’t I hearing anything?

I roll over and grab my phone from the bedside table and press the home button to check I’m not going insane, and that it is in fact morning time, and I’m not lying in wait for something that will never come.

My phone lights up after a few seconds, and the time reads;

_10:05AM_

 -1 unread message

I stare at the illuminated screen in front of me to make sure I’m not seeing things… 10:05?! My alarm didn’t go off, I’m supposed to be meeting Levi in 25 minutes, I haven’t showered and I have a raging morning wood that isn’t going to go away on its own.

Brilliant, I’m going to have to do everything I do in 2 hours in a quick, compact 20 minutes.

If there are any higher ups that can help me right now, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Briefly I read the unread message, which happens to be from Levi.

**Levi__9:05am**

_\--If I'm picking you up I need to know an address, brat—_

I shoot back a late reply with my address, then jump out of bed with more enthusiasm than a child on Christmas morning, except my current attitude is because I don’t want my ass being kicked by a sour-faced short ass, not because there’s a big bald man bringing me presents while I sleep.

With those unsettling thoughts making themselves at home in the back of my mind, I rummage through the clothes that are hung up in my wardrobe, which isn't much. Most of it is part of my fast growing floordrobe, which I would normally choose my outfit from, but today is not a normal day. Today I need to look semi-presentable.

What can I say? I want to make a good impression.

After deciding on a button-down shirt and washed out jeans combo, I make my way out of my room and into the hallway which leads to mine and Armin’s shared bathroom.

As I walk down the deathly quiet hallway I quickly peek into the living room to check everything is in order. I notice Armin’s shoes aren’t by the door which means he left for work while I was asleep, and I also see Sina sprawled out on our couch, that self entitled feline, if it were down to me she’d be gone in a heartbeat.

Moving onto more important things… my gaze moves up to the wall where a plain, modern clock sits comfortably.

_10:15AM_

Fuck!

I run into the bathroom at top speed, startling the cat in the process. While turning on the shower I strip from my pyjama bottoms and loose t, then hop under the cold spray of water coming from the shower head.

After washing my unruly hair and rinsing off my body wash I realise there's one more thing left to do, and if I'm being totally honest, I don't have time for this shit.

My line of sight goes south to the point where I'm staring head on at my dick, daring it to defy me and willing it to just leave already.

But obviously, it wants to make my life hard, no pun intended, and so I swiftly lean out of the shower to check I have enough time to deal with the situation.

_10:20AM_

Shit ok, I have 5 minutes to finish up my shower, get dressed and leave the apartment.

I can do this.

Reaching down, I grasp my shaft and give it a quick stroke. Gasping from the sudden sensation, I start up a steady rhythm, my legs shaking from the heat gradually spreading throughout my body.

I’m damn glad Armin isn't in the apartment, because I can't keep my voice at bay.

 _“Fuck”_ I moan, my voice raspy and almost unrecognisable.

I think about what it would feel like to have Levi’s hand replacing mine, or to have his hand replaced with his mouth. To feel his hot tongue running up and down my cock in swift succession. But a single image formed in my mind of having myself buried in his burning heat has me cumming instantly, a lot faster than I had expected.

I guess I really do have it bad for him, I think to myself, laughing softly at the mere Idea of him having me in such a state.

Slowly, I release myself and clean up the small mess I've made.

After hopping out of the shower, I throw on the outfit I've picked out and towel dry my hair. I check my phone and I have 3 minutes left.

Running out of the bathroom, I grab my keys and wallet on the way to the front door. I put my shoes on and turn the lights off as I leave.

On my way down to the foyer I use the mirrors fitted inside the elevator to make my hair look anything but like what it does now: a mess. But due to my terrible luck, anything I do doesn’t stay for long and I'm left with a bird’s nest on my head.

As the elevator doors open I make a dash for the apartment block entrance, I check my phone as I run and it reads exactly 10:30am.

I don't know how I did it, but I'm putting it down to the fact that I must be a fucking wizard.

Bursting through the double doors inevitably does make me look like a maniac, but I made it. I made it out here for the time Levi wanted me, and he isn’t even here.

What the actual fuck.

I slip my phone out of my pocket and start scrolling back through our conversation to make sure I had the time right, and I did. So, where could he be?

To keep my mind from wandering to negative possibilities, I scroll through my Facebook feed.

I don’t even know what his car looks like, god I’m going to look like an idiot looking around aimlessly for a vehicle I won’t recognise even if I fucking see it.

Suddenly, without warning (again, I know) a sleek black Mercedes pulls up next to me and beeps it’s horn really fucking loud. What the fuck does this prick think he’s doing? He could have given me a heart attack! When I find out who this asshole is I’m going to knock his lights out—

The car window rolls down and the owner shouts out to me ‘’Come on Kid, we don’t have all day!’’

All my anger quickly morphs into complete embarrassment… It’s Levi, of course it is; I probably look like a fuming idiot.

I shuffle quickly over to his car and open the passenger side door, the interior is immaculately clean and orderly, but who am I kidding, I wasn’t expecting anything less really. Levi side eyes me as I get into the car, which makes me slightly uncomfortable, have I got something on my face?

‘’Do you not own a fucking brush?’’ Levi says, with an incredulous look on his face.

I laugh as I say, ‘’I’m not even kidding, Levi. You try and tame this, I’ll eat dirt the day that you do’’ the look I receive makes me regret what I say as soon as it’s left my mouth.

‘’deal’’ He replies, a challenging glint flashing in his eyes.

Not a moment later, Levi pulls out from where we were parked and starts to drive in the opposite direction of my apartment. I still don’t know where we’re going, or if this is even classed as a date. We’re just friends right now, right?

My curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, ‘’Where are we going?’’

‘’Nowhere too fancy’’ He pauses, ‘’Just a small coffeehouse on the outskirts of town, we have a lot to talk about and I don’t want to be disturbed’’

I blush slightly at the thought of Levi wanting me all to himself, what would we talk about? There’s so much that I want say that I don’t even know where to start.

‘’Eren, you look like you’re going to have an aneurism, what could you possibly be thinking about that that is getting you this worked up?’’

Well shit, I’ve been caught.

‘’I guess I’m just a little nervous about this whole situation’’ I reply, which isn’t too far from the truth.

‘’So you’ve gone from shitting yourself with excitement to pissing yourself with anxiety?’’

‘’You could say it like that, but I probably would have put it slightly more elegantly’’ I add, and Levi gives me a nonchalant shrug in response.

The rest of our short drive is comfortably silent; I indulge myself in the view of the man sitting next to me, which I take full advantage of. I don’t think I ever fully appreciated how beautiful he really was, and still is, we were just too caught up with the danger of the world around us, and never took the time to really take in the beauty of each other.

Not much longer after I had turned my attention to the scenery we were passing, did we arrive at our destination.

Levi got out of the car and made his way around to my side, and before I knew it, he was opening my door for me to get out.

What a gentleman.

After getting out of the car and making sure we had everything we needed, we made our way over to the small coffeehouse. There was a large sign in beautiful cursive writing saying _‘The Tiny Titan’_.

Upon entering, I get hit with a very strong scent which resembles coffee, but there’s something different about it that I can’t quite distinguish.

Levi notices my questioning gaze and quickly informs me that it is, in fact, their house blend which reels in 90% of their customers. How he knows the specifics I don’t know, but I take it he’s just a regular and took an educated guess.

We approach the till and I scan the boards above the cashier to decide what I want to drink. I hear Levi say he wants his usual, which turns out to be plain black tea. Again, I’m not surprised in the slightest.

I end up deciding on the house blend, nothing else is jumping out at me, so why not try something new. If it’s crap, then I’ll know not to order next time I guess.

Will there be a next time, though?

When we get to paying, Levi insists he will take the bill, which I obviously protest against, but let’s be real, I’m never going to win this argument. So, I back down and agree to go and find a place to sit, while he waits for our drinks.

Once I find a suitable place for us to sit, away from most of the other people currently in the venue, I take my time to go over the events of the day so far. Levi’s currently buying me coffee, in a small coffee house in the middle of nowhere, and he wants to talk to me alone and spend the time as just us two. I’m so close to fangirling and I’m not even ashamed of myself.

I’m broken away from my thoughts when Levi places my drink in front of me, and takes the seat opposite to mine.

‘’Thanks’’ I chuckle nervously, I thought I’d cooled myself, but apparently not.

He looks up at me and says ‘’So, just to get this out of the way, and it should be obvious anyway, but you can’t go around calling me captain. We’ll attract attention I don’t have the patience to deal with, and it sounds creepy as hell, too.’’

Well that was blunt ‘’Ah… Yes, sir- ‘’ I stop myself at my obvious mistake, this is going to be hard.

It’s quiet for a while, until I can’t take it anymore, and I decide to break the silence.

‘’Uhm, Levi?’’ The only reply I get is a noncommittal grunt, so I take that as my cue to carry on. But as I continue to look at him, I can’t help but notice he still sits in the same position and holds his cup in that same strange way. It does funny things to my heart. Things really don’t change.

Shit, I need to calm down.

‘’So, do you live here?’’ I ask, stuck for anything else to say.

‘’Yeah, with my wife and our three kids’’

…

Sorry what.

‘’Wha-? Oh. You’re Married?’’ How could this be… I thought maybe he was actually interested in me…

What the ever-loving fuck.

Ok, I’ve got to pretend to be happy.

‘’That’s… that sounds gre- ‘’

I’m cut off by Levi giving me the hardest glare I’ve ever received, ‘’Of course I’m not married, for fucks sake. I was joking’’

The relief that floods through me is ridiculous, ‘’Oh’’

‘’Calm down, Eren. You look like you haven’t taken a shit in three weeks.’’

The conversation takes a lighter turn and I start to feel more confident, ‘’Pfft- My bad. But it’s hard not to be nervous, you know? I’ve been waiting for this for so many years.’’

Levi’s expression softens for a few moments and I see an emotion I’ve never witnessed among his features before.

Regret.

After that, we talk for what seems like hours, about how we are, about who we’ve met along the way.

It turns out Levi’s found quite a few people, like Erwin and Hanji, which I’m glad about; also, Mike, Nanaba and obviously, Petra.

I tell him about Armin and Jean, about how I’ve still yet to find Mikasa.

We fall into amble conversation able anything and everything, about how even all this time later, we’re still both into guys, which I’m secretly celebrating about, and how we still have our distinctive traits that make us who we are. Levi’s still an avid cleaner, and according to him, I’m still a pain in the ass.

I wouldn’t disagree with him on that.

After the stressful morning I’ve had, it was all made worth it.

Because of him.


End file.
